The Press., 1887-06-02
WASHINGTON LETTER.

After many years Washington is once more in the hands of the soldiers. Bay onets, brass buttons, bright helmets and brilliant colors gleam in the May sunshine. The streets are full of troops and of non- military visitors, and from early morning until nightfall martial music fills the air playing bands, ,bugles, ,ffes and drum -beats
 The capital is wiling captive on this occasion. and the impressive gathering of representative citizen soldiers gives Uncle Sam an excellent opportunity to feel his muscle, examine his sword and arnor, and to test his strength in other ways. It gives the amateur warriors, too, who are encamped around the Washington monu- ment, a better chance to know something of practical military service than some of them had ever had before. Strict military discipline is in force at the camp, and the soldiers are required to do guard duty at night in rainy or fair weather, as well as to obey all regulations and orders issued by the commandant of the camp. The various organizations which are talk ing part Tn the competitive drills during the week drew lots for the order in which they would compete. The numbers were placed in box, a representative Of each company selecting number. Only about half of the companies in camp are compet-
 
 short of the number of men required for competition, while others who witnessed the specimen drilling of some of the crack regiments decided 1t would be useless to compete with them.
 The companies do not know what ma- neuvers will be required of them until they enter the drill ground for eompeti- tion. The method adopted by the man. agement is as follows When company is called for drill printed program of the movements to be executed is handed to the captain, who IS allowed to study it for time and amiliarize himself with it's re- quirements. When his company has fin ished drilling the paper is handed back, and the captain is bound by oath not to re. veal it's contents. Eight competing com. panies drill each day. Every company executes the same evolutions, and every company occupies thirty minutes in it's ex- ercises.
 The judges of the drill are all officers oi the regular army and were appointed by General Sheridan at the request of the drill committee. They were chosen by Gen. Sheridan on account of their special fitness for that service, each of them hay having spent much time at the leading military institutions where the manual o1 arms is always the first thing thought of.
 The event of Wednesday was the review of the troops by the president and a bril- liant dress parade through the streets oi the city. The weather bureau had fur. nished perfect day for the spectacle. the crowds of people posted along the line oi march seemed almost as great as on inaug nration days, the marching of the soldiers was good, their uniforms were gorgeous, and there was nothing but the sscolor line trouble to mar the success of the day.
 The president, with the governors oi several states and their stafs and othel prominent people, occupied flag bedeck ed stand on Pennsylvania avenue in from of the white house. After the ambulance of the Red Cross Society, which has charge of the drill hospital, and which brought UT the rear of the parade, had passed the re- viewing stand, the crowd thought that the procession was over, as no other organiza tions were in sight, and closed in upon the ambulance after the fashion of crowds at street parades.
 A few minutes later the Vicksburo Southrons and the Memphis Zouaves hove in sight and passed Ehe stand like a sena. rate contingent. They marched down the avenue short distance and then back tc Willard's hotel. When asked why they had dropped out of the parade one of the captains replied that it was all on accoun, of the company of triggers" that marched in front of them. Three colored compa nies, two of which were three battalions ahead of the position assigned the South rons, and seven battalions ahead of the place where the Memphis Zouaves should have been, were the cause of the secession from line.
 A lapse of about ten minutes and hall mile behind the tail end of the procession was, in the estimation of these two compa- nies, the way to mark the color line. They have yet to learn that no eontiguity can physically, intellectually, morally or so.